Full Metal Alchemist: Meet the Spark Alchemist
by furysflame666
Summary: The mysterious alchemist, Hisakawa Arashi, enters the Eastern Headquarters seeking a State Alchemist certification. However, no one could tell she was a red eyed dog of the rebellion until it was far too late.
1. Chapter 1

This is my Full Metal Alchemist story, and the main character, the female, is property of me. No, I don't own Edward and Alphonse Elric, nor would I want to. XP Anyway, they're Arakawa-sensei's. So, enjoy.

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The train came to a halt. Its bell rang with loud authority as its passengers departed. Not many came to this part of the country, for this place was the Eastern Headquarters of the military. General unrest had been surging due to the Ishbalan War years back, and only recently had there been some amount of peace. 

Of the few who stepped from the train, one stood out. Though, she wanted desperately not to be an eyesore until she was in safe territory.

She hid her flaring eyes with a thick pair of sunglasses, and her blouse, pure in its color was covered by a dusty, worn traveling cloak she had found in an old shop in the last town she had been in. It reached the back of her thighs and was quite oversized. As for its color, it mimicked the dirt.

The girl's hair was calm in contrast to her fiery orbs, and was a clay-like brown. Even more subtle in intensity was her skin, strange for this part of the world. Though it wasn't powerful in its color, it still gained a few unwanted glances for its paleness.

Her pants were as formal as her blouse, but were the direct opposite in shade. They were baggy and flowing, and stopped slightly past her ankles, covered by a pair of worn out, arch-less shoes that misdirected the formal appearance just as much as her cloak did.

Over her shoulder was a lengthy but weak in girth traveling bag of a pastel color. It was all she had brought with her from the other town.

The girl stretched, for the train ride was longer than she had wanted it to be. And, she was not used to being on such vehicles altogether.

"Painless, at the very least." She muttered almost silently to herself. A sigh escaped her lips as she thought about her goal. Over all other issues, she would have to remain clear-headed and in control. One mistake could mean the end of her journey. However, she shook her head a bit, to clear all of the negative thoughts out. It didn't mean she couldn't enjoy herself in the meantime.

She took an unsure step towards her goal, and then another. Checking to make sure her sunglasses effectively covered her eyes; she confidently strode towards the eastern military base located in this city.

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"This is ridiculous…" she growled in a frustrated ton. The girl had been looking for the base for a good fifteen minutes but couldn't find it. In fact, she was sure she had passed by the train station twice. Now, she sat on an empty bench near a small fountain. "How could I miss a building that large?!"

She mentally punched herself for being so confident. At least, she could have asked someone at the station, with her being so naturally untalented with navigation. Now, she had no idea where to go. Possibly, she _could_ go back to the train station to get the directions, but who knew if she could even find it?

The city was moving about her. In every direction she heard footsteps. Though not as bustling as Central had been when she visited, the eastern city was still slightly too loud for her to think clearly.

And, it was too loud for her to hear someone approaching and completely trip over her bag that was slightly too far out from underneath the bench.

"What the…?" the fumble of another broke the girl from her thoughts. She looked up and saw a boy not much shorter than herself, with a bright fiery coat and blonde hair. He was sprawled out on his stomach, covering her bag with his feet. When the girl realized what havoc she brought upon the child, she stood up and quickly blurted, "Ah, excuse me for that!" She put a hand to the back of her head and looked away, "I didn't watch where I put my bag…"

"You could've hurt someone!" despite the aggressive sentence, the boy's voice was only slightly irritated. He gathered himself up and handed the bag to the girl. "Be more careful next time."

The girl took her bag back from him. She slung it over her shoulder and replied, "Yes, I will." Suddenly remembering why she was in this city, she took the chance to ask, "Umm…would you know where the military base in this town is? I'm…lost."

It was purely humiliating to ask such a thing for her. Surely a child like him wouldn't know where it was! But, before he could speak a reply, loud, metallic footsteps converged at their location, and the owner was more than what the girl had expected.

A person, at least seven feet tall, the girl guessed, stood before her then. Encased completely was this individual, in a suit of worn, silver armor. It had spikes, mostly for intimidation on the helmet and shoulder guards. There were more sharp points jutting from it at the elbows. She did not know whether to see this person as a threat or simply an obstacle, but the girl had a feeling nothing good could come from that armor. An urge to tear out the contents of her bag was suppressed with great difficulty.

However, when this person spoke, her view of him changed greatly.

"You should watch where you're going, nii-san." A soft, gentle voice came from him, surprising the girl. Even his voice sounded metallic, just like his footsteps. "What if something was broken when you tripped over that bag?"

"Hey, I already said sorry, didn't I?" the smaller boy whined. He spoke with authority, which seemed strange to the girl watching this scene take place.

"I don't think so," she corrected with an almost as strong tone. But then, it hit her that these two might be the ones that could get her to the base. "Though it's more than alright."

She scolded herself for not realizing it earlier. She knew who these two were.

_Perfect._ She thought to herself, and smiled.

"Do you know where the base is, or not?" she pushed again, acting as if she wasn't sure; "I'm in a bit of a hurry."

"Well, it's…" the blonde-haired boy started, but the girl stopped him there.

"I'd rather you show me; I'm not the best with directions," She recommended. Of course it was true, since she was lost in the first place, but that wasn't the whole reason. The girl figured that, if this one was who she thought it was, she could perhaps have an easier time obtaining what she wanted. "Is that alright?"

"Why do you want to go there, anyway? The military's not all glamour, you know. Wait, are you the daughter of some high-up official?" the boy asked her with a hint of arrogance in his tone.

_That _would _make it easier,_ she thought, but held her tongue. Now, with a bit of her own pride, she said, "No, that's not it. I'm here for the exam; I'm an alchemist."


	2. Chapter 2

Full Metal Alchemist isn't mine, but Arashi is. Enjoy everybody.

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"An alchemist? Is that so?" the blonde boy only seemed slightly surprised. He closed his eyes and sighed, "Sorry, but you're in the wrong place. Central's where you need to go."

"Don't you think I would have gone there first?" the girl replied. She crossed her arms and said, "No one but a few low-ranking officials were there. They said that the Fuhrer and anyone else who mattered all went to the eastern headquarters of the military. Seems they fled."

The boy looked suspicious. "How did you get them to tell you anything?"

"A dent in my wallet and a few threats to the right people," She shrugged. "The military's more corrupt than I thought.

"But beyond that," she continued, "Could you show me where the base is? I'd rather not waste any more time here."

"Sure," the boy smiled, and started walking away, "You seem more than a regular, second-rate alchemist."

"What was that?" the girl asked, following him, even though she heard him well.

"Nothing. Alphonse! Are you coming?" the boy called to the person in the armor.

Alphonse scrambled up to the two and walked to the left of the blonde boy.

"I've heard that name before." the girl stated. She looked up to the armored one, "Elric, isn't it?"  
Alphonse stopped. The other boy followed suit but didn't turn around.

"How do you know that?" the armored boy questioned with a hint of nervousness in his tone.

"It's really not that difficult," she told him. "Rumors of the 'Full Metal' Alchemist have been spreading for awhile now. And you," She pointed to the blonde boy, "Are the true State Alchemist that these people have been speaking of. Edward Elric, isn't that right?"

The alchemist turned. He was smiling, proud that he had been heard of. "Damn straight." His face turned slightly more serious when he asked the girl, "And who are you to know all of this about us?"

"Arashi." Matching his gaze now, and his expression, she finished, "Hisakawa Arashi."

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The gate was before them. She was almost to her goal.

"You sure about this?" Edward did not turn his head but simply moved his eyes back to where Arashi was standing, "Being a State Alchemist isn't as great as it sounds."

The girl started walking again. She wouldn't stop.

"I know. I already know too well," Her tone was dark. "But it's the only way to get what I want."  
"And what's that?" He started to follow a moment later along with his brother.

She turned, with an almost angry expression, but then she smiled and stuck her tongue out.  
"Like I'd tell you that! I've known you for ten minutes!" she laughed and raced the boy who had started running up to her to the front of the base.

When they arrived inside, Edward revealed that he had to check with his superior, one who he obviously did not have much respect for. He seemed irritated and made jokes about this man the entire way up to his office.

"Is he really that bad?" Arashi wondered aloud, waiting for a response from the blonde boy who was still cracking jokes about the man.

"Arrogant, pompous, no good son-of-a-" Edward described, then Arashi jumped in:

"Alright. I get the point." she sighed. This was going to be interesting...

"And he's a womanizer. Watch your back." Edward added. There was only slight seriousness to his voice.

"Ed! He's not that horrible." Alphonse argued, stretching Edward's name to emphasize his point.  
Arashi only listened. However Edward's superior was, he would be the one to start the exam for her. It didn't matter how he acted.

They reached a door at the end of the gray, boring hallway. The walls were neutral and far apart. They seemed to engulf the trio.

The door however was a rich, dark wood. It was somewhat large, and demanded authority that Edward would obviously not submit to.

Slightly overdone for a simple Colonel, but then again the entire military was this conceited, Arashi thought. She moved her eyes to meet the smaller alchemist, and motioned for them to enter.

He didn't respond. Instead, he asked once more:

"Are you sure you want to go through with this? Once you're in, you'll have a damn fun time trying to get out."

"And what a glorious moment that will be," She answered sternly, "Let's enter."

Edward nodded, told Alphonse to remain outside the Colonel's office, and with a shove, opened the heavy doors.

Despite the elaborate entrance, the room itself was quite small and dull. Two couches faced each other in the middle, with a coffee table betwixt. A quite plain desk was slightly beyond that. Behind that was the man which would start Arashi's examination.

"Reporting, sir." Edward spoke as he walked into the office, stopping to salute. From the file folder the man was glancing at, he looked up, made a gesture, and the blonde alchemist relaxed.

Also from this look about the room, he spotted the girl who had stopped and politely closed the doors for the less courteous child who had accompanied her. Why was she here? The man could only guess.

"More importantly," the Colonel diverted his attention back to Edward by questioning, "Who is this well-mannered girl?"

A vein was visible on Edward's forehead as he grumbled, "Can you keep your focus for even one second without thinking of-"

"At peace, Edward," The girl commanded with only her tone. She walked up to the shorter child and surpassed him to face the Colonel. A simple outstretched hand began her narrative. Her voice was unwavering in its bravery and strength, "Sir, I'm Hisakawa Arashi, pleased to meet a high-ranking official of the military such as yourself.

"If you cannot already tell, I'm an alchemist and I wish to take the State Alchemist examination as quickly as possible. I already know the Fuhrer is here at this base, so I'd rather not delay the start of it and simply begin. I will not be deterred, pardon my rudeness, but I shall _not_ leave until I have at least taken the test."


	3. Chapter 3

At the end of her speech, of sorts, her hand remained outstretched in a non-threatening gesture. Her body language remained just the same.

The man before her did not change his expression. He stared at Arashi for quite a few moments, as if measuring his options and replied:

"You seem to be more...level-headed than the other _kids_ that have come to me asking the same question, so I'll let you in on a secret. The military is not where you should waste your life, at least if you're this young."

"I've heard this speech before, sir, but I won't change my mind. May I take the test?" her hand remained out; she tried to be as respectful as possible despite her disregard to his last statement.

"Are you prepared fully for the consequences of what you choose to do?" the man asked darkly. His expression changed to match the tone.

She nodded. Then suddenly, the man snatched her hand, and gave it a firm shake.

"Then I welcome you to the military, miss. I'm sure you'll pass." He smiled what seemed to be a warm grin. It turned more smug as he released her hand and walked around his desk to meet the girl. "I just need the paperwork from the Fuhrer and then you can begin."

The man started to lead Arashi out of the room. Edward saw this, and quickly jumped in.

"Hey, wait! What happened to my report?!" his tone was simply frustrated.

"I think I'd call this a more pressing matter, don't you agree, Ed?" the man replied as he passed.

The small alchemist remained silent but it was obvious he didn't trust his superior's intentions. It didn't matter though, for the two exited the office, leaving Edward to his thoughts.

Once they left his office, the two walked by Alphonse, who promptly greeted both of them. The man merely nodded, and Arashi gave a small smile and a thumbs up.

They walked through the military base for about five minutes in silence, until the man brought Arashi to another door. He unlocked it and told her that this was where she would take the exam, with a certain time frame. Also, he told her to go in and he would retrieve the testing materials from the Fuhrer and return shortly.

Inside was not glamorous in the least. Like the rest of the base, its walls were a drab, unexciting color. There was one desk in the center of the tiny room, with one chair. Lighting was adequate, however, and she was sure she could manage.

After sitting down, Arashi waited awkwardly for the official to come back. The wait seemed more horrible than the test would be.

Finally, he came and almost tossed the packet of the exam to her. He wished her good luck and went back out. The girl could hear him lock the door behind him.

It made her wonder if he would remember she was in there. . .

Question after question she answered competently. They seemed to be core, simple facts of alchemy and only about five or ten questions were beyond her educated guess.

Minutes passed by. The test was almost done.

There came a sound at the door. The man was unlocking it.

As he intruded, he spoke, "Time's up. Did you finish?"

Arashi stood up quickly and handed the official her exam. She replied firmly, "No, sir."

Taking the pile of papers, he said, "Then I hope you had enough knowledge to make up for it."

"I believe I did."

He looked at Arashi, and then motioned for her to follow him out of the room. She obeyed without a word. After they had left and were walking down the hall, the conversation began once more.

"There are two more parts to this exam. Did you realize that?" his tone was strangely passive.

She glanced at him almost nervously.

"Yes, I've heard from alchemists who attempted this." It was true; Arashi tried to find as many former candidates as possible to extract information from.

"Oh, really?" the man almost sounded amused, "Then I don't need to waste time explaining; we can start right away."

"Wait, sir!" Arashi was alarmed. She wanted real knowledge from this official, "There's no need to rush this."

"Nonsense. You'll be fine." He pushed her down the hallway, with the girl being powerless to oppose, for fear of invalidation.

As they continued down the hall of the military base, they arrived at an incredible set of doors that seemed to bear down on Arashi simply for being in their presence. The State symbol, the platinum dragon, centered it. Gazing about, Arashi found the wood had been tediously polished, with gold leaf at the door's rims.

She was told once again to wait outside. Were the higher government officials that had fled to the Eastern Headquarters in that very room? Arashi could only guess. As she stood there for an increasing number of moments, the girl began to feel quite a bit awkward. Every once and awhile personnel of the base passed by, unknowing to why she was standing in the middle of the hallway. Harassed with questions each time, she found that it wasn't difficult to dismiss them, leaving her alone with her own contemplations.

Having just about enough of waiting, Arashi found a spot up against the wall, safely away from the swinging door, and rested. She thought back. Did she regret starting this journey? Absolutely not; she had wasted too many years on this goal if that was true. There was no turning back.

Then she realized something dire; quite a few things, actually.

First off, she had lost her traveling bag somewhere between walking to Edward's superior's office and that moment. That could be a very serious issue if she didn't find it soon. Not only did it have any money she possessed currently at all, but it contained something much more valuable and precious to Arashi.

A more pressing problem occurred that she simply couldn't get rid of. It was the color of her eyes.

Since the rebellion near this very headquarters, the east, Ishbalans were considered refugees, and were _not_ looked upon kindly by anyone in the military. This was why she covered her appearance, most importantly her fiery orbs with thick, dark sunglasses. She still wore these now.

Would she be able to get away with concealing her eyes? What would happen if they figured out she was Ishbalan?

Just when her worries reached a quintessential form, the entrance to that room opened up, and the same man as before came to greet her, closing that gate behind him.

"Sorry for the wait, it took the old geezers time to look over your papers. They're ready for you." He informed, and motioned to the doors.

Arashi lifted herself from the floor and stretched a bit, to mentally prepare herself for the next part of the exam. Before she could take a step however, the man clasped her shoulder, and looked at her with a dangerous expression.

"Do you think glasses will cover up who you are? It only took me one glance. I don't know what they'll do to you but I have a good idea. Are you sure you want to take the risk they'll figure you out?" His tone was straightforward and harsh.

Her voice was distant and filled with ice as she replied, "I accepted those possibilities the moment I wanted my certification. Your words can't stop me...sir."

The man started with disdain at her for a moment, as if annoyed at her persistence, and then sighed slightly. He turned and began to open the heavy doors. Arashi followed after him, not knowing what would happen next but as ready for it as she could ever be.

It was the beginning of a much harder journey, however, one that the young alchemist could never have expected.


End file.
